Do you ever pray about something halfheartedly and then feel humbled when God answers you? Or pray about something without really expecting an answer and feel surprised when everything works out? I keep doing that. Today we were driving someplace and were listening to Jonathan Park Adventures. (Have you heard of those? They are science based radio drama shows for kids). Those children's adventure stories are a little silly but it reminded me that I need to pray with confidence that God is hearing me and is going to answer in a big way. Not everything in life will work out how I want it to, but when I pray with confidence I can be at peace knowing that WHEN God answers (and He will), He knows what is best.
I was also reminded today that God knows my children better than I do. He loves them more than I do and He knows what they need. He knows the things that are on my heart for each child and He can handle it. I recently had an answer to a half-hearted prayer that kindof took my breath away. It was about one of my kids and I still feel a little emotional about it.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 13:6
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
1John 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
According to His will...when we pray according to His will that changes our prayers doesn't it? I'm so thankful that we have a God who hears us. Who cares about the little things that cause us stress. And who answers us.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Basic Manners
Raising kids is about teaching and training and we only have so many years to get this done. Some things that used to be very basic manners children learned from society are no longer around. In some ways we have to work so much harder at training our children than our parents and grandparents ever did. We cannot count on society to teach our kids certain things. Or anything. Writing thank you's used to be basic good manners. Greeting everyone in the room as you entered it, was basic good manners. Waiting to start eating until everyone at the table is served is basic good manners. Learning how to carry on a conversation and to make people feel comfortable in your home were skills that are no longer seen as a "skill".
I have a blog post about pet peeves and I try really hard not to think about pet peeves because I've got better use for my head time, but one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is children who look blank when spoken to. For my own kids, it is completely fine to not carry on a conversation with a creepy stranger. But if an adult you know, like someone from church, or one of your friends parents speaks to you, you need to answer. If a little old lady says "hi" or "how are you today?" my seven your old does not get to stand behind me and blink. My two year old does not even get to do this. She knows that when someone asks her a question or addresses her, she answers them. When my kids speak to each other they are expected to respond as well. Nothing makes me wanna smack people more than this does.
Nonresponse is rude. I don't know why people think this is ok but responding used to be part of basic manners as well. When you got an invitation you RSVP'ed. If you received a letter, you wrote back. If someone said "hi" or asked you a question you answered them. It doesn't matter if you're shy or if you're an introvert - rude is rude. Don't be that way! And I have absolutely no one in mind as I'm writing this. Just reminding myself more than anything that I need to be teaching my children because it came up recently in our family.
As Christians our goal is to bring glory to God and to be a light for Him. If we are rude it interferes with that.
Matthew 7:12
I have a blog post about pet peeves and I try really hard not to think about pet peeves because I've got better use for my head time, but one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is children who look blank when spoken to. For my own kids, it is completely fine to not carry on a conversation with a creepy stranger. But if an adult you know, like someone from church, or one of your friends parents speaks to you, you need to answer. If a little old lady says "hi" or "how are you today?" my seven your old does not get to stand behind me and blink. My two year old does not even get to do this. She knows that when someone asks her a question or addresses her, she answers them. When my kids speak to each other they are expected to respond as well. Nothing makes me wanna smack people more than this does.
Nonresponse is rude. I don't know why people think this is ok but responding used to be part of basic manners as well. When you got an invitation you RSVP'ed. If you received a letter, you wrote back. If someone said "hi" or asked you a question you answered them. It doesn't matter if you're shy or if you're an introvert - rude is rude. Don't be that way! And I have absolutely no one in mind as I'm writing this. Just reminding myself more than anything that I need to be teaching my children because it came up recently in our family.
As Christians our goal is to bring glory to God and to be a light for Him. If we are rude it interferes with that.
Matthew 7:12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Do you like it when people interrupt you? When someone is late for their commitment with you? When you host a party and someone spends the whole time playing with their phone? When you speak to someone and they just look at you and blink? When your neighbor has music blaring in the middle of the night? If you don't like it when someone does something, then don't do it either. Put others first. The definition of "manners" is a person's way of behaving towards others. Think about how your behavior affects those around you and is a reflection of Christ in you. And then don't forget to teach your kids to do the same.
Do you like it when people interrupt you? When someone is late for their commitment with you? When you host a party and someone spends the whole time playing with their phone? When you speak to someone and they just look at you and blink? When your neighbor has music blaring in the middle of the night? If you don't like it when someone does something, then don't do it either. Put others first. The definition of "manners" is a person's way of behaving towards others. Think about how your behavior affects those around you and is a reflection of Christ in you. And then don't forget to teach your kids to do the same.
It's tax season
My husband is a CPA and when I say "It's tax season" it means that life is different for our family for several months. He actually works a lot of hours all year, but the busiest time is seasonal. I don't mind seasonal work. I was raised with my parents running that type of business, but many people don't understand what I mean when I say "it's tax season".
Tax season doesn't just mean that my husband is doing taxes at work. It means that he is gone from home at least 70 hours a week and usually much more than that. The kids go days without seeing him, I am alone with them for that huge stretch of time (so I consume more caffeine and am a smidgen crabby), and we eat a lot of quesadilla's. If friends or family have questions on their taxes my husband has to do it on his own time. If he works on firm time until 9pm or 10pm at night, it's after that that he can help others. (And if he helps you, please appreciate that. Our whole family sacrificed for it.) When he works most of Saturday, with Sunday his only day off, we don't have time for anything extra.
It also means that I'm a little sad sometimes because I quit working as an accountant to stay home with our kids. I don't regret that choice but enjoyed my job and especially loved tax season. There are days that I would give anything to get dressed up and drive off to work with him.
Spring is when the weather is the most beautiful here. It's not too hot and not usually raining and my hard working husband misses all of that - going to and from work in the dark. All church retreats and conferences are in the spring and we have to miss those too. Men's, Women's, Couples, Parenting - it's all in the spring. School things like track meets and field trips to the aquarium also happen in the spring so I'm doing those alone with my crew. We see people less and it's usually harder for me to do things like go to coffee with friends.
The kids and I have our own little routine for tax season and it doesn't take long to get back to it each year. We play at the playground more, go on walks to the bakery for cookies and visit the library. We eat more fast food than normal and go to the zoo a lot. It's the time of year that the kids get to do e xtra things like acting or art classes and we usually take a trip to Montana to visit my family.
I love that I worked as an accountant because I understand my husband's job. I can have an intelligent conversation with him about his work and I can see how good he is at it. And he IS good. Gifted. He passed all four parts of the CPA exam the first time and only 10% of the people who take it can do that.
I had a blog post before about being your husbands help meet and this is how I've been his. I did not ever feel like an accounting career was God's calling for my life so wondered why He put me there. I enjoyed it but would've been happy doing any number of other things. My husband had a hard time finding a major and after I graduated from college he went into accounting too. And he was great at it. THIS was God's plan for his life and I am a big reason why he is where he is. Tax season is always a time of affirmation and a time to be thankful. I'm thankful he has a job he's good at. I'm thankful I've had a special role in his career. I'm thankful for the times I can leave his dinner in the fridge and turn on the porch light. For when I can get his breakfast ready or go fill up his car with gas. Whatever it takes to help him go be great.
http://parkermama.blogspot.com/2013/06/created-to-be-his-helpmate.html.
Tax season doesn't just mean that my husband is doing taxes at work. It means that he is gone from home at least 70 hours a week and usually much more than that. The kids go days without seeing him, I am alone with them for that huge stretch of time (so I consume more caffeine and am a smidgen crabby), and we eat a lot of quesadilla's. If friends or family have questions on their taxes my husband has to do it on his own time. If he works on firm time until 9pm or 10pm at night, it's after that that he can help others. (And if he helps you, please appreciate that. Our whole family sacrificed for it.) When he works most of Saturday, with Sunday his only day off, we don't have time for anything extra.
It also means that I'm a little sad sometimes because I quit working as an accountant to stay home with our kids. I don't regret that choice but enjoyed my job and especially loved tax season. There are days that I would give anything to get dressed up and drive off to work with him.
Spring is when the weather is the most beautiful here. It's not too hot and not usually raining and my hard working husband misses all of that - going to and from work in the dark. All church retreats and conferences are in the spring and we have to miss those too. Men's, Women's, Couples, Parenting - it's all in the spring. School things like track meets and field trips to the aquarium also happen in the spring so I'm doing those alone with my crew. We see people less and it's usually harder for me to do things like go to coffee with friends.
The kids and I have our own little routine for tax season and it doesn't take long to get back to it each year. We play at the playground more, go on walks to the bakery for cookies and visit the library. We eat more fast food than normal and go to the zoo a lot. It's the time of year that the kids get to do e xtra things like acting or art classes and we usually take a trip to Montana to visit my family.
I love that I worked as an accountant because I understand my husband's job. I can have an intelligent conversation with him about his work and I can see how good he is at it. And he IS good. Gifted. He passed all four parts of the CPA exam the first time and only 10% of the people who take it can do that.
I had a blog post before about being your husbands help meet and this is how I've been his. I did not ever feel like an accounting career was God's calling for my life so wondered why He put me there. I enjoyed it but would've been happy doing any number of other things. My husband had a hard time finding a major and after I graduated from college he went into accounting too. And he was great at it. THIS was God's plan for his life and I am a big reason why he is where he is. Tax season is always a time of affirmation and a time to be thankful. I'm thankful he has a job he's good at. I'm thankful I've had a special role in his career. I'm thankful for the times I can leave his dinner in the fridge and turn on the porch light. For when I can get his breakfast ready or go fill up his car with gas. Whatever it takes to help him go be great.
http://parkermama.blogspot.com/2013/06/created-to-be-his-helpmate.html.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)